Key-ring holder.



F. HACHMANN.

KEY RING HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, I915.

Patented June 27, 1916.

3' 550 .E/P/C/f 654 am! AM Tm: wLuMum I'LANUURAPII cm, AsmNGTON, n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK HACHMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FIFTH TO FRED C. SGHOENTHALER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

KEY-RING HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed January 8, 1915. Serial No. 1,226.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK HAQHMANN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Key-Ring Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to key ring holders, and more particularly, to a device for attaching a key ring to a belt.

The key ring holder of the general type under consideration, as now constructed, comprises a double loop, one of which snaps over the belt, and the other over the key ring. Since such a key ring holder is worn outside of the apparel, it is liable to get caught and either snap the holder withthe ring from the belt, or snap'the ring out of the holder. In both cases the keys are liable to be lost. v

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to construct akey ring holder which is provided with means for preventing the accidental escape of the holder from the belt or the ring from the holder.

Another object is to provide a device which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and durable.

Further objects will appear from the cletail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a key ring holder embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view; and Fig. 4; is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing another embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly, to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 10 designates a shank, preferably constructed of a resilient metal, such as steel or spring brass. The ends 11 and 12 of the shank are bent or doubled over, preferably in opposite directions, so as to form two loops. The ends of the doubled over parts I 11 and 12 are bent outwardly, as shown at 13, and these ends yieldingly engage the opposite sides of the shank. There are thus formed a pair of spring loops which may be opened by pulling the ends 13 outwardly, but which will be returned and yieldingly thrown back against the shank, due to the inherent elasticity of the metal. The device so constructed forms a holder for the key ring 20 engaging the lower loop, while the upper loop is adapted to encircle a belt 21. It is for the purpose of facilitating entrance of the belt and key ring into the loops that the ends 13 are bent outwardly to form a flared opening. The foregoing is a: general description of holders of the type in question, and since the belt and key ring areonly retained in the loops by the inherent elasticity of the metal, and since the sides of the loops taper toward their open ends, the belt or key ring is, of course, liable to slip out of its loop. In accordance with this invention, means are provided for preventing the accidental disengagement of the belt or key ring from the holder loops. This means comprises a projecting part on one of the loop forming members, engaging a recess in the other part to form interlocking means between the engaging parts. The shank l'O'is provided witha longitudinal slot or recess'l l, and each ofthe ends 11 and 12 has struck up therefrom atooth 15. This tooth is formed by striking from the body of'the metal apiece out of'th'e center thereof, the end 16 of this piece being completely severed, while the other end 17 remains attached, so as to form a well defined projection, which has a bevel face at its attached end 17 merging into the flared end 13. The end 16 is struck out far enough away from the ends 11 or 12 so as to form a positive stop for the key ring or the belt when either engages the open end of the loop. It will, therefore, be seen that, if the key ring is moved upwardly in the holder, or the holder moved upwardly on the belt, the key ring or belt will slip between the tooth and the bent over part 11 or 12, so that removal of the encircled part from the holder will be prevented. In order to remove either the holder from the belt or the key ring from the holder, it is necessary to move the jaw or side member 11 or 12 of the loop away from the shank sufliciently so that the tooth will clear the shank a distance equal to the thickness of the ring or belt. In view of the fact that the part 17 of the tooth is beveled, and in yiew of the fact that the ends 13 flare outwardly, the key ring can be readily slipped into the loop, or the loop slipped over the belt.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4C, the teeth .25 are formed by simply slitting the metal and then pressing it inwardly. This causes both sides of the tooth to be rounded,

but the tooth remains interlocked with the recess or slit 1% in the shank. Vhile the incline of the tooth itself is sufliciently steep, and while this tooth normally projects into the slot 14 a sufficient distance to prevent disengagement of the encircled part under normal conditions, the construction is not as positive in its action as that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects. A. device is produced which will absolutely prevent the disengagement of the holder from the belt, or the disengagement of the key ring from the holder, except when the loop is opened by the user. At the same time, the device may be readily snapped on a belt, or a key ring snapped into place. The device is made of a single piece of metal, and, since it can be formed with suitable dies, its cost will be very low.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A key ring holder comprising a shank having its ends doubled over to form spring loops, said shank being provided with a slot at a point intermediate the inner ends of said loops, and a projecting lug on and adjacent the end of one of said loop forming parts disposed to normally project through said slot and be retained in engagement therewith through the inherent spring action of the loop, said loop having an out turned terminal portion forming a finger hold near said lug to be engaged for positi vely disengaging the lug from said slot and opening said loop,

2. A key ring holder comprising a shank having its ends doubled over to form spring loops, said shank being provided with a slot at a point intermediate the inner ends of said loops, and a projecting lug on and adjacent the end of each loop forming part disposed to normally project through said slot and be retained in engagement therewith through the inherent spring action of the loops, said'loops each having an outturned terminal portion forming a finger hold near said lug to he engaged for positively disengaging the lug from said slot and opening said loop.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the presence of these two witnesses.

FREDERICK HAGIEIMANN.

Witnesses:

J. H. BRUININGA, JAS. J. CoNNnLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G," 

